


There...you're much prettier that way

by Adrien_mode



Series: Lights, Camera, Reaction [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Identity Reveal, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Rape Recovery, and angsty but thats implied, fluff and just teens being dorky
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:25:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23382997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adrien_mode/pseuds/Adrien_mode
Summary: Adrien is desperately trying to hold together the pieces of his life after his primary photographer exploits him for uses other than taking pictures for a perfume ad. Trying not to fall through the cracks, he doesn't realize yet who he has there to catch him if he does.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Plagg, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: Lights, Camera, Reaction [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1661410
Comments: 20
Kudos: 141





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! if your clicking on this feel free to keep reading but I just wanted to say that for everything to make more sense I recommend reading the previous part!

The continuous sound of running water made Plagg stir.

One green eye slowly opened as he was awakened. Seeing a dim ray of light across the room he opened his other eye as well. Stretching he arose from Adrien’s pillow and yawned.

The blankets on Adrien’s side of the bed were thrown to the side and he was nowhere to be found. Though Plagg knew where he was. This wasn’t the first time he had gotten up in the middle of the night.

Plagg floated across the room following the trail of light that leaked out of the bathroom doorway.

Inside, one of the bathroom sinks was running, and in front of it stood Adrien. 

His face was wet presumably from the sink, and he was just blankly staring at his reflection in the mirror. He didn’t seem to notice Plagg in the doorway.

He decided to float further in. “...Adrien?”

The boy jolted slightly from the sudden noise, though he didn’t turn his head in Plagg’s direction. After a beat he instead looked at the kwami’s reflection. Eyes wide.

“Hey...are you okay buddy?”

It wasn’t until Plagg was hovering by Adrien’s face that he turned to look.

“...I’m okay…” He almost whispered, voice hoarse and dull. “Just washing my face…”

It was almost like he just reminded himself that washing his face was something that he was in the middle of doing as he reached for the hand towel that was hanging on the wall. He rubbed it on his face for a moment before dragging it down just below his eyes. The action pulled his cheeks and lower eyelids down a bit too, which made him look even more exhausted and lifeless. He paused for a moment. Looking at his reflection.

Plagg let out a breath. “Why don’t we go watch something? It might help you get back to sleep.”

After a moment Adrien nodded. Putting the hand towel down he shut off the sink that was still running. Plagg went ahead and flew up towards the upper level of his room. Scanning the movies and dvd’s. 

Soon followed by Adrien, switching off the bathroom light, the room became dark again. Everything washed in a dim blue light from the night sky. Or was it early morning sky? Letting Plagg do his thing, Adrien pulled his blanket off his bed and got comfortable on the couch.

“Let’s see, let's see…” Plagg called out from upstairs. “Whaddya wanna watch? I haven't seen you watch any of these things in a while.”

Adrien stared at the black screen of the TV. “You can pick.”

After a moment of looking Plagg pulled one out that looked alright. He had no idea what any of these were even about but judging by the cover it seemed nice enough. It was an animated movie of some sort.

Flying back down to where Adrien was he popped open the case and stuck the disk in the DVD player. Grabbing the remote he flew it over to Adrien so he could finish setting up the movie.

The light of the TV had the room lit up once more. As Adrien got comfortable, Plagg curled up next to him. Eventually Plagg must have fallen back asleep because when he opened his eyes again the blue light from the sky had turned pink.

Floating up he stretched and let out a scratchy noise that resembled something like a yawn.

Blinking the sleep out of his eyes he looked down at Adrien who was actually awake. Had the kid even slept at all? He was watching the looped menu screen of the movie like it was some kind of entertainment. 

He must have noticed the black kwami out of the corner of his eye because he turned his head. Though that didn’t last long because when he confirmed what he saw he turned away again.

“..Morning Plagg.” His voice was flat and tired sounding.

Despite having just woken up, Plagg tried to keep his energy high. “Good morning Adrien! Sleep well?”

Adrien sat up and rubbed at his eyes, breathing out a tiny laugh. “Wow...you're awfully chipper this morning…”

“I am!” Plagg hovered closer to Adrien's face. “I was hoping it’d be contagious, huh? Is it? Is it?” He got closer with each word.

Adrien laughed and batted him away, unable to pretend that Plagg didn't get him genuinely smiling.

Plagg clasped his paws together and made a joyful noise like he just set his eyes on the most delectable can of Camembert. “ _It is!”_

The kwami patted Adrien on top of his head. “Good to see you smiling kiddo!”

Adrien’s amused smile morphed into one of endearment. “Thanks Plagg…”

Just as if someone had heard him breaking the apparent _‘no fun’_ policy, there was a knock on the door.

Adrien rolled his eyes flopping back down on his back. It was his wake up call. “Yes?”

Nathalie spoke through the door. “It’s time to get up Adrien, if you aren’t already. Your breakfast has been prepared and is ready for you in the dining hall.”

“Thanks Nathalie.” He groaned.

As he listened to her footsteps fade he spoke again. “I don’t want to go down there…”

Plagg frowned. “Not even for the breakfast?”

“Not even for the breakfast.” Adrien pulled his blanket over his head. Though after a beat Plagg pulled it back down. 

“But you need breakfast! Just like I need my cheese.”

Adrien gave him a look.

“Just... _try_ and go eat a bit… for me?”

After a moment Adrien relented. “Fine, for you Plagg.”

Dragging himself off his couch he made his way down stairs and miserably took his seat at his end of the long dining table. Resting the side of his face in his hand he sleepily rubbed his eyes before looking down at the breakfast in front of him.

It was a bowl of oatmeal with strawberry slices on the top of it. Picking up his spoon he pushed it around in a disinterested fashion. It smelled fine, but he just wasn’t in the mood to eat anything.

Adrien heard steps approaching the dining room. It wasn’t Nathalie. He knew what her footsteps sounded like, and they were too light to be his bodyguards. That means-

Looking up he was exactly right. His father entered the room at the opposite end. Rolling up the sleeves on his dress shirt, he sat down at the other end of the table.

“Good morning Adrien.”

Adrien looked back down at his oatmeal that he barely touched. “Good morning Father…”

The one day his father came out for breakfast at the table and it was the day Adrien looked like the walking dead. He desperately hoped the dark circles under his eyes weren’t visible from the other side of the table.

There was a long moment of silence. Finally Adrien dared to look up from his bowl.

Adrien didn’t know why he thought to be worried about his father noticing his appearance, he wasn’t even paying attention to him. Currently he was sipping from a mug and scrolling through what he could only guess to be emails or something on a tablet.

Adrien's expression churned in his hand. For a second he thought he was crazy for attempting to have this kind of conversation, but he had to get it off his chest, even if he wasn't going to mention the whole story.

He had been on the fence about whether or not he should mention anything, _especially_ to his father... but the chance to talk one on one like this hardly ever appeared.

Finally, he broke the silence.

“Um…Father?”

Gabriel simply looked in Adrien’s direction. Okay, that must be the elusive green light.

“May I ask you a question?...” 

After a beat Gabriel looked back down at the tablet in his hand. “You may.”

Adrien fidgeted in his seat, his words suddenly dissolving on his tongue. “Uhm...do...do you ever have to deal with people...getting in your space?”

His father took another drink from his coffee mug before replying. “Hardly anymore, however as a public figure there always seems to be that one person that finds a way.”

Swirling his cup for a moment he looked back towards Adrien. “I’m assuming you're talking about your fans?”

Was this really happening? Were the two of them about to have a meaningful conversation? 

His gaze drifted back down to his oatmeal as he scooped it around with his spoon. “Uhhhhhmmm yeah, a fan…um you see...”

Adrien looked back up when he heard Nathalie enter, effectively killing any conversation that was or most likely _wasn’t_ to be had.

Her heels clicked on the hard floor all the way to the other end of the table. She said something he couldn't quite make out to his father, who then unsurprisingly got up and started to leave.

“If you’re having trouble with your fans Adrien, let your bodyguard know. That is what I pay him for.”

Adrien felt frozen. Helpless but to watch as his father left the room with Nathalie. He sat still for half a moments more after the two disappeared before slumping back into his chair, dropping his spoon back into his untouched breakfast. His once speechless expression was replaced with a soft scowl.

“Of course Father.” He muttered to the now empty table. 

Pushing his chair away from the table he was about to get up when he pulled it back in and took a few mouthfuls of oatmeal for Plagg.

After he felt like he had enough he got up again and went back up to his room. As he trudged back up the steps Nathalie called out to him.

“Adrien, may I have a moment please?”

He stood in his tracks, waiting for her to get closer and say whatever it was she wanted to say. There wasn’t much in him that cared to have a conversation anymore.

However when she approached him she actually didn’t have much to say at all. She simply handed him a schedule.

“Here is this week's schedule. Some things have been switched around but for the most part it has remained the same.”

Adrien halfheartedly nodded. “Thanks Nathalie.”

Nathalie hummed in acknowledgement before making her leave. Turning back up the steps Adrien did the same, until he suddenly stopped.

His hand gripped the stairwell railing as he read what was on the planner for the afternoon.

 _‘_ _Photo shoot ;_ _Luxembourg Gardens 16:00’_  
  


* * *

Chat Noir tapped his foot while nervously chewing the claw on his thumb. It was hardly past lunch time and today had already been a long _long_ day.

All during the car ride to school, during classes, during study hall, Adrien had been sick to his stomach. Up until the past hour he’d been running on autopilot. It was hard to stay grounded when everything felt so far away and unreal.

It was currently lunch break and Adrien thought it would be best to not stick around. On some days he just couldn’t bear to be around his friends and today was no exception.

It’s not that he doesn't want to be around his friends because he does! He couldn’t imagine what would become of himself if he didn’t have them in his life...but on the days where he just can’t pretend, it’s like they can see right through him.

They can tell something’s eating him alive, and it scares Adrien that they might be able to read past the gaping wound in his chest and see just what that something is.

Though what scares Adrien even more is what might happen later this evening. It's his first photo shoot since what happened. Who knows who’s gonna be there or what's gonna happen.

Which is why Chat is currently pacing on some flat rooftop waiting for Ladybug.

When he was nervous over his last photo shoot, Ladybug had offered to stand guard. Before the incident, he didn’t like that idea at all. Having Ladybug in such a place with him feeling as vulnerable as ever? Chat didn’t want Ladybug to see that side of him. Even if Ladybug had no idea that it was him he was having her protect.

But _now..._ things are a bit different. He felt so terrified and trapped. It was like he was stuck standing on a conveyor belt. No matter how hard he tried to go the other way, life kept dragging him forward.

He thought about it long and hard practically all day, and he genuinely felt that Ladybugs offer might be his only way to survive. 

Inside Chat felt so guilty and selfish for even thinking about asking her about this, but he still held onto that hope that if she _did_ show up she wouldn’t see him that way.

Faintly he heard the unmistakable zip of her yo yo and turned to see her swing up to him.

“Hiya Kitty!” Dropping down onto the rooftop, her greeting was cheerful but upon seeing his wrecked expression she deflated. “ I got your call! I-..What’s wrong?”

Chat had practiced what he was going to say a hundred times before she had showed up but not a single line was coming out without getting caught in his throat first.

“I- um...I really- Could I get your help with something?” He finally settled, that sounded okay right? Not too needy but still urgent?

Ladybug seemed to pick up on his internal battle against himself, as she stepped closer, her face hinted with worry.

“Anything you need, Chaton.”

Chat took a breath as if to compose himself. “..Remember a week or two ago when I had that..um, friend who was worried something might happen to them?”

Ladybug solemnly nodded, not sure where this was going as she remembered that Plagg had said that Chat Noir’s _‘friend’_ was really just him talking about himself.

Pulling his staff out he flipped it open. After a moment he turned it so Ladybug could see the image on the screen. 

“You know this boy, right? That um-” He made a gesture with his hand as if he was searching for the word. “Model? Or something like that?”

Ladybug's face immediately lit up with recognition. “Oh, of course I do. That’s Adrien Agreste.”

Maybe Chat would have gushed over Ladybugs soft expression as she reminisced about his alter ego but the rock in his stomach made it a priority for another time.

“He…” Chat grimaced slightly at his next words but quickly buried the emotion. “He’s the friend that needs to be..kept an eye on.”

It took Ladybug a few seconds to put the pieces together, _but when she did…_ Oh god her blood ran cold and her previous soft expression practically slid off her face.

“He...he what?” She needed to hear it again, there's no way she heard it right.

Ladybug’s reaction wasn’t quite what Chat had anticipated, suddenly he felt as if he had made a major mistake. Despite the urge to forget it all and backtrack, Chat continued to explain.

“He has a photo shoot at this location later this afternoon..” He swallowed. Raising up his staff once more for her to see the coordinates. “...You don’t have to do much, just...maybe show up towards the end and make sure he gets to his car okay? I wish I could be there and help you, but I have something really important at the same time and I-”

Ladybug interrupted him as she gently rested her hand on the side of his arm. “No no… Chat, it..it’s alright, I will be there. Everything will be just fine, okay?” Her eyes showed nothing but genuine compassion.

Chat’s expression softly shifted into something bittersweet. “Thank you Ladybug _…”_

“Of course.” Her fingertips lingered for a moment before she pulled her hand away. “I’m glad I can help.” 

After a beat, Chat Noir stepped back. “Well... I had better get going.”

He extended his staff and was about to leave before he turned back to Ladybug. “I know this is something that's probably really trivial to you, but I just want you to know it means a lot to me. If… If you ever need me to repay the favor just let me know.” 

“Don’t think of it as a favor Chat, we’re a team… You can always count on me to have your back…”

Chat's expression softened for a second before it turned into a smile. He nodded before leaping away, leaving Ladybug alone on the rooftop.

She stood there and watched Chat leave until he was out of sight before she left as well.

Instead of heading back to school she decided to head home. With about half an hour left of their lunch break, there was a _lot_ she needed to process before she had to head back.

Dropping down her latch she landed down on her bed where she sat for a moment. About half a minute passed before she finally spoke.

“...spots off.”

A flash of light filled the room before Tikki appeared. The two stared at each other before Tikki tried to speak. Though what was she supposed to say?

“Marinette…” She started. However Marinette interrupted her.

“Did Plagg not say that Chat was talking about himself?” Marinette was still reeling from the new information.

Tikki made a face, for the first time she wasn’t really sure what to do. “...Marinette, I know it must be difficult for you to find out this way... But I don’t think Plagg would have said that if he knew Chat Noir would bring it up again like that…”

“But he _did Tikki..._ Which means all this time Adrien was hurting..Chat Noir was...He- he…”

Marinette couldn’t seem to finish a sentence. Burying her face in her hands she whined. The two puzzles she had in progress suddenly became part of the same picture.

It was like her whole understanding of her world was shattered and being reconstructed into a new one with each revelation. 

Adrien was Chat Noir...

Chat Noir was Adrien…

 _Adrien_ had just come to her and asked for her protection because he… he…

Marinette brought her face back up, looking at Tikki with watery eyes. “Tikki, we _have to do everything we can at that photo shoot.”_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug shows up to Adrien's photo shoot, though with his luck, the wish that it's uneventful doesn't get fully answered.

Ladybug landed with a thwap on top of a large stone fixture in the park the photo shoot was taking place in. It was a nice secluded area with a large rectangular pool of water and a fountain in the middle of it. The archway she was atop of gave her a nice view of the surrounding area while being tall and covered enough to stay out of sight. 

The poor blonde was a little unclear on the exact time, but luckily she had a good enough handle on his typical schedule to be able to narrow one down.

And as she expected: she was early.

There were about five different people setting up shop, but nothing else really was happening.

Adjusting herself so she was sitting flat and not on her haunches, she started to wait it out.

About twenty minutes had passed before more crew started showing up, and it wasn’t too much longer after that when Adrien showed up. Him and Nathalie were walking up the stone path with his bodyguard following behind.

The sight made Ladybug come to the heartbreaking realization that these two prominent figures in Adrien’s life, who attended a majority of his outings… still weren’t enough to help him feel safe. She briefly wondered if they even knew anything about the situation.

In their defense, Ladybug hardly knew much about the situation either. Besides the fact that something awful happened involving a photographer. She didn’t know what to look for exactly but what she _did_ know is that Adrien wasn’t going to leave her sight.

She watched the three of them approach the set. Nathalie started to converse with one of the ladies who was there when Ladybug first arrived, while Adrien stood idle beside her. His bodyguard took a seat on one of the chairs near the entrance, where he can keep an eye on everything and presumably wait out what is usually a long shoot.

After a moment of conversation between Nathalie and the woman, she pointed to something a little ways away. Which is where Adrien started to head over to next.

Ladybug shifted her position on top of the archway so she was a bit closer. It was a makeshift makeup station.

He sat on top of a stool in front of a large portable light, while another lady presumably the makeup artist started to talk to him. Ladybug couldn’t make out what they were saying but after a quick exchange Adrien went quiet again as the girl trifled through her makeup carrier and got to work.

For almost half an hour she watched Adrien get his makeup done. It was pretty uneventful thankfully. He’d close his eyes and she’d brush on some kind of powder among other things. Occasionally she'd walk away for a minute or two and Adrien would be left to sit there on his own for a bit. Ladybug didn’t know why, but she got this sense of melancholy just watching him sit and wait for the makeup artist to return. 

As the blonde was dismissed, he went and sat in another chair a little ways away on the edge of the set.

He looked so anxious. It broke her heart to see him this way. All Ladybug wanted to do was jump down there and comfort him.

She watched him sit there alone for a good five minutes. With nobody really doing anything near him maybe she could…

Carefully making her way down the large stone pillar of the archway she was on, trying her best to sneak around the set to the group of chairs Adrien was sitting by. Thankfully this place is called a garden for a reason, so there were a good amount of trees and groups of bushes to use for cover. 

A couple of bushes and a few close calls later she managed to get behind the seating area Adrien was occupying. Crouched down low she approached him.

“Adrien?” She whispered. She also gave him a gentle tap on the shoulder as she did so, causing Adrien to almost jump out of his skin.

He flipped around to identify the source when his eyes were greeted with a pretty blue. He managed to catch his breath the same time Ladybug scrambled to apologize.

“ _Ah, I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to frighten you!_ “

Adrien’s eyes scanned over the super heroine crouched behind him. She was wearing a black baseball hat and a black zip up jacket over her suit. Honestly he couldn’t help but to find it very cute. This must have been her attempt at a stake out outfit. Despite the fact that her bottom half was still a bright spotted red, it seemed to be working.

“Ladybug? Uh..what- what are you doing here?” He tried to look pleasantly surprised.

“I just wanted to see how you were doing..”

He drummed his fingers against the top of his leg, looking at anything other than her. 

“Uhmmmm, good! Everything is…I’m just waiting for the shoot to start..these things tend to take forever…” He sighed.

“...Would..it help if I waited with you?”

He blinked, staring at her for a moment longer than he really should have. When he had asked her to come to the shoot he didn’t expect her to want to come and _sit with him._ The offer sorta took him off guard. Though what was he thinking? This is _Ladybug._ The sweet, compassionate super heroine of Paris with a heart of pure gold. Of course she would sit with him.

“Ye-yeah I..I would like that a lot… _I mean-_ it would _help_ a lot.” He stammered.

Clumsily he tried to move the chair next to him so Ladybug could squeeze by and sit in it, but of course with his luck the chair was a foldable one. His attempt only resulted in the chair being folded back up partly.

“Uh- Hang on-” He got up and unfolded the chair again and Ladybug almost thought she heard him say something about cheap set chairs under his breath. 

“There you go!” Nervously he sat back in his own chair. This time he sat with one foot up on the seat and his hands loosely clasped around his ankle.

Ladybug gently took a seat. Almost amused. It was so strange to suddenly see Chaton completely in a boy who was previously unrelated in every way, but now that she did, she wouldn’t wish to see it any other way.

She stared at him for a moment, his gaze was facing downwards towards the grass. It didn’t look like he knew what to say so Ladybug started out with a little bit of small talk. When she spoke he immediately brought his gaze back up to meet her’s.

“You know, I didn’t expect it to be so warm out today.” Ladybug rubbed her hand across the sleeve of her jacket. The black fabric already starting to heat up in the late afternoon sun.

Adrien perked up a bit as the conversation steered in a more comfortable direction.

“Oh tell me about it.” Absentmindedly, he twirled the loop of his shoelace around his finger as he agreed. “These shoots are such a pain when they take place on hot days. The makeup, the lights, the stuffy clothes, blagh.” He stuck his tongue out slightly as he made the faux gagging noise. “Thankfully there's a cool breeze or I would for sure be cooked alive out here.”

Ladybug giggled. “I couldn’t help but notice the actual set taking place in the shade so that must be a plus.”

Adrien smiled slightly at her laugh. “Oh trust me it is.” His head lolled to the side tiredly. “Too bad I can’t say the same about these chairs though…”

It was true, the area he was waiting in was indeed in direct sunlight. But thanks to Ladybug’s quick observational skills she noted a more suitable sitting area a little ways behind him.

“You wanna move over there?” She pointed to a small patch of shade.

Turning around in his chair Adrien examined the spot for a quick moment. “You know it never crossed my mind that I could move these chairs, you’re a genius Ladybug.”

“Well, what can I say.” Ladybug hummed.

The two got up and carried their chairs to their new spot and set them up. As the two sat down Ladybug noted Adrien looked a lot more at ease. Instead of sitting with one leg propped up shielding him, he sat with it crossed along his knee.

“Better?” she asked.

“Much better. I-” 

Suddenly he was interrupted by a feminine voice that called him to the set.

Visibly, he stiffened, like somebody poured a bucket full of liquid terror on top of him. Though after a moment he tried to lightheartedly brush it off. 

“So much for moving spots.” He nervously forced out a small laugh. Slowly he started to get up from his chair. “I guess I better go…”

Before he turned Ladybug stopped him. “Adrien wait-” She gently held his hand almost in a way like she had done the night of the Sandboy attack but this time he didn’t pull away. “-whatever it is that’s bothering you, It’s gonna be alright...I will be right here for you no matter what…”

The two held each other's gaze for a moment before Ladybug continued, hoping to send him off with a little less anxiety. “...You can do this, okay?...”

As Ladybug gave him her words of encouragement Adrien’s face furrowed in emotion. Biting the inside of his lip he just nodded in response before hesitantly pulling his hand away. Adrien’s gaze lingered a few seconds more before he finally turned to the voice that called him.

The super heroine stayed in her seat as she watched him walk over to the lady that called him to the set. It was the lady Nathalie talked to when they first showed up. Ladybug didn’t know much about the inner workings of a photo shoot, but she looked like she must be the person in charge or something.

Ladybug tried to eavesdrop but she couldn’t really make out every word. She heard what sounded like an apology for the delay, and then something about someone not being able to make it?

The girl then introduced Adrien to another girl standing right beside her. This new girl didn’t look very happy to be there at all. She looked tired and stressed. Maybe this was a last minute replacement photographer? Ladybug didn’t really know for sure. From the seat she was in it was hard to gauge whether what was happening was good or not, as Adrien was facing away from her. 

She didn’t get a chance to find out, as he was then sent to begin shooting.

In a spot near where the giant pool of water and fountain were, there were a few outdoor chairs and a table set up cutely which is where Adrien was directed to sit.

He sat there patiently as crew members adjusted any lights and screens. 

Ladybug decided it would be best to swing back up to the stone entry way she took post on top of earlier to get a closer look. Making her way back to the top of it she crouched, intently watching the photographer.

Adrien fidgeted slightly as he awaited instructions. As the equipment crew gave the thumbs up the photographer began to direct him. They hadn’t even started yet and it already seemed like she was out of patience.

She got her camera ready as she spoke. “Okay, Adrien, we're just looking for a soft, enjoying your evening out in the park type photo set. So keep that in mind okay?” 

Adrien nodded as he started to pose slightly. He clasped his hands together, rested them on the tabletop and tried to smile.

After a few clicks from the camera she gave him more and more directions.

 _‘Try tilting your head’ ‘Can you rest your arm on the back of the chair for me?’_ and what felt like a hundred others of the same variety.

Which, of course, he tried to follow to the best of his ability. It’s not like he wanted to be here any more than this stand in photographer, but when he kept falling short time after time she began to grow extremely impatient.

“Is it possible for you to _try to not to look so tense?”_

Ladybug’s nose scrunched at the comment. She wasn’t able to make out everything the women said but this one definitely wasn’t missed.

Even though Adrien could sense her rising irritation this whole time, he was a bit taken aback by her firm tone. Much like Ladybug, he didn’t like it at all.

“Right…sorry...” Is all he managed to get out.

Readjusting himself he hoped his new position wasn’t so stiff.

However all he succeeded in doing was unintentionally ticking her off completely.

_“Can you please! Loosen up a little?? That’s all i’m asking!”_

Adrien flinched.

_“These pictures are so stiff and unnatural almost none of these are usable! We’re practically out of daylight, and if we don’t get any good pictures it’s a waste of not only your time- but everyone elses time here too-”_

The women's tangent was almost unheard by Adrien as her earlier words echoed in his mind, until that echo morphed into something else entirely.

_‘Very good, Adrien. Fantastico. Just… try and loosen up a little hm?’_

Adrien winced intensely at the phantom voice in his ear and that’s when Ladybug immediately jumped to defend him. Ditching her stake out accessories, the scarlet heroine dropped down in front of Adrien. Taking a protective stance in front of him as if to shield him from this woman's verbal attack. 

Before addressing the situation she turned her head, making eye contact with the stressed blonde behind her.

“Are you okay?...”

His breathing hiccuped, but he nodded. 

Ladybug then turned her attention to the photographer who was gawking in front of her.

“Is there a problem here?” She scowled.

It was very apparent that this lady suddenly lost all her fire. “W- no not at all Ladybug.”

A few of the surrounding crew gaped at the hero as well, taken off guard from the scene that was taking place. Ladybug didn’t care though, she stepped forward defensively.

“To me it seemed like _you had a problem.”_ She steadied herself not to get too carried away before continuing.

“Look I don’t know your story. Just like you don't know mine, and you don’t know his-” She gestured to Adrien. “You might be having a bad day or something! Trust me _I get that,_ but whatever the reason, it gives you _no_ excuse to act awful towards people when you have no idea what their own day has been like.”

As the woman was left speechless, Ladybug had noticed that pretty much the whole set had their eyes on her. She stepped backward closer to Adrien who was still sitting down. Among the crew crowding around, Ladybug noticed Nathalie and Adrien’s bodyguard making their way over. Adrien must have noticed too as he very subtly reached for Ladybugs hand and gently squeezed it. It reminded her of the way he grabbed her arm in the park during that whole fiasco with his crazy fans.

Though Ladybug quickly put the thought on the back burner and continued to stand protectively in front of Adrien, who was almost hiding behind her.

Nathalie must have come for the commotion only, as she made a surprised face when her eyes came across Ladybug. “What is going on here?”

When nobody responded right away Ladybug pitched in. “I was, er, just passing by when I couldn’t help but notice her, _who I’m sure is a nice lady!_... Becoming unnecessarily upset with Adrien here…”

Ladybug couldn’t help but become hyper aware of all the attention that was on her. Even though she was a superhero and 100% doing the right thing, she had this sudden feeling in her stomach like she was butting in where she didn’t belong. However it hardly lasted long, as she squashed the feeling down. No matter what anyone else thought, she was going to defend her partner. 

“With everything that goes on in this city I just wanted to make sure things got resolved before they got worse.”

Nathalie’s expression hardened briefly as she processed what Ladybug had told her. After a moment she spoke again.

“Are you alright Adrien?” Her voice was flat and unwavering.

Ladybug stepped to the side a bit to reveal the sniveling Adrien behind her. He wasn’t crying, but it was very obvious that he was trying not to.

He blinked away any tears he had in his eyes, refusing to look at Nathalie or his bodyguard head on. All he managed to do was nod.

The replacement photographer must have felt really bad about what the situation turned into as she tried to apologize. However she was cut short by Nathalie who was focused with something on her tablet.

“It’s an inconvenience, yes, however I don’t see any reason to continue the shoot like this. We might as well just cut early and reschedule.”

Adrien finally looked in Nathalie’s direction at that statement. Never had any of his photo shoots been cut early due to anything other than an akuma. If something wasn’t working he would usually have to stay longer until he got it right. Who knew all it took was to be brought to the brink of tears?

Nathalie said something to the lady who was presumably in charge and gave her a card before turning back to Adrien briefly.

“Come Adrien, grab your things. We’re leaving.”

The two teens watched a majority of the attention disperse off of them. After a beat Ladybug walked Adrien over to the area where he put his bag. Internally Adrien thanked himself for putting it someplace away from the sets prying eyes.

Lifting his bag up over his shoulder he also picked up his spare water bottle he had next to it. Fidgeting with the cap he looked to Ladybug with an expression she could only compare to a sad puppy.

“...Um...thank you Ladybug...for everything.” His voice was quiet and gentle.

Ladybug just sympathetically smiled at him. “Hey, anytime. Just say the word and I’ll be there to back you up okay?”

He smiled slightly in return.

“Though I’m sorry things still got a little out of hand today.” She continued. “I should have jumped in before she snapped at you.”

“No don’t be sorry, you were amazing. Today actually went a lot better than I thought it was going to so..thanks again.”

Adrien noticed Ladybug's soft gaze move off of him and onto something that was behind him, causing him to turn and see what it was.

Nathalie was watching the two from the car.

Suddenly he got flustered. “Oh um, I better- I think they're waiting for me.”

“No worries! Wouldn’t want them waiting too long, stay safe okay?” She tilted her head in a compassionate way. 

He nodded looking a lot happier than he previously did. “I will!” 

Turning to make his leave, he suddenly turned back around making a gesture with his hand like he forgot to say something. “Um-...” He looked for words for a moment before seemingly discarding them.

“Have a nice evening, Ladybug.” He smiled before turning and leaving again for real.

Ladybug smiled as well, watching him leave for a moment more. He seemed happier for the moment. Knowing that she helped Adrien feel okay even if it was just for an afternoon, made her happier too.

Letting out a breath she yo-yoed back to the top of the stone archway. Picking up her discarded jacket and hat she made her way back home.

* * *

“Nope, I don’t want to hear about you and Ladybug _anymore!”_ Plagg crossed his arms and pouted as Adrien plopped down in his desk chair.

“I know you don’t care Plagg, but oh my gosh it was like when I looked in her eyes every worry I had just melted away… I wish we could talk like that all the time and not just because I asked her to come.” 

Plagg made a frustrated noise and turned to Adrien. “And I believe _I asked_ you to rethink this whole Ladybug coming to your photo shoot thing but _noOOoo, nobody listens to Plagg!”_ He sarcastically sang the last bit in a mocking fashion.

Adrien frowned. “I listen to you! I don’t know what you're so worked up about, she was totally okay with coming, and everything worked out. Maybe she’ll even come to my next ones, unless… you don’t want her to?...”

Plagg sighed. The whole reason Plagg was so exasperated was because earlier in the day he _tried_ to convince Adrien to not go to Ladybug for help with this specific favor. Though obviously, it didn’t work.

The kwami knew that would put his secret identity at risk but… that wasn’t Adrien’s fault.

Adrien didn’t know that Ladybug knew that his 'friend' was really just him, how could he? If there was anyone Plagg should be upset with, it was himself.

Really he could be upset at himself for a number of things. Struggling to support his chosen emotionally and accidentally paving the way for Ladybug to figure out his identity? Yeah… However what he really was beating himself up over was the fact that he ended up taking it out on Adrien who was already confused and stressed enough as it is.

“No...she can come.” Plagg relented. “I’m sorry I made it seem like I cared more about stupid stuff and not how you feel…”

Adrien waved it off. “It’s okay Plagg. Though sometimes I don’t understand you, I always know you're looking out for me.”

Plagg floated in the middle of Adrien’s room for a moment. Feeling a burning feeling behind his little black cat nose and his eyes water a bit he quickly blinked the feeling away. Flying over to the blonde, he hugged the side of his arm.

_“Always, Adrien.”_

Adrien only got the chance to pet Plagg about once before the kwami parted. “But you know I like to look out for my Camembert stash too, and I haven’t checked on it since we left so I’ll be right back.”

As the Kwami zipped away Adrien hummed out a small laugh to himself. Plagg never was the one to have a serious composure for long.

Adrien was shook out of his thoughts as his phone buzzed in his pocket. 

Pulling it out he swiped his password. As the home screen showed up so did the little notification bubble that showed a text from Marinette.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made this one extra fluffy and dorky as an early apology for part of the next chapter dhjkbckj  
> thanks for reading so far!

**Author's Note:**

> heyo everyone! I was inspired to continue this and make it a series! Since the last one def needed more closure lol
> 
> thank u sm for reading so far, feedback is v appreciated! <3


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